<Chapter 69>
#8. A Frightening Encounter
Though the carriage rattled and moved roughly, Melty, who had monopolized the comfortable seat of Calix’s lap, found nothing particularly uncomfortable about it. Whenever the carriage shook greatly, Calix would hold him tightly in his arms to cushion the impact. At first, Melty had glared at him, saying it was embarrassing, but after several days of repetition, he too had adapted.
When the carriage safely arrived at its destination, Melty insisted on getting off separately at least when disembarking. Though Melty was shorter than Calix, he didn’t want to get off while being held in Calix’s arms when he might be meeting other people for the first time. Calix’s face was filled with dissatisfaction at having to let go of the soft and warm Melty in his arms, but in the end, he had no choice but to comply with his wishes.
“Be careful getting down.”
Melty glanced with not-so-resentful eyes at the hand extended toward him and obediently grasped it to jump down.
“Calix! Welcome.”
A dignified voice emanating both gentleness and heartiness captured Melty’s ears. Turning his gaze toward the voice full of laughter, Melty discovered a man as tall as Calix. Perhaps having come out to greet them upon hearing of their arrival, many servants were lined up behind him.
“…It’s been a while.”
Unlike his welcoming counterpart, Calix, with indifference written all over his face, merely nodded perfunctorily. Despite his halfhearted attitude, the other person didn’t seem to mind and just burst into laughter.
“Yes. You’ve been out of touch for too long… But the person behind you seems new.”
“Ah, that…. Hello, sir. I am Melty Crosel.”
Melty, startled when he realized the man’s gaze had turned to him, hurriedly bowed his head in greeting. As if curious about Melty’s greeting, he felt the man’s gaze sharply on his bowed head. Calix moved on behalf of the flustered Melty, naturally blocking the gaze directed at him.
“Seeing that you came out to greet us, it seems you have some free time. In that case, I’d like to resolve this first.”
Calix slightly waved a letter held between his fingers. The reason for his urgent visit was contained within. The man’s brow furrowed at Calix’s immediate approach to the main point.
“No matter how urgent the matter, we should catch up when we meet after so long.”
“…It seems inappropriate to say that after summoning someone with talk of urgency.”
Calix spoke only what he needed to say, not at all swayed by the man’s regretful expression. The man laughed at Calix’s response and waved his hand lightly.
“What could I do when my son, who was supposed to come soon, gave no news? I had no choice but to throw out the most interesting bait. Change your clothes and come down. Since it’s lunchtime anyway, let’s talk over a meal.”
After finishing his words while patting Calix’s shoulder, he glanced lightly at Melty who was hiding quietly behind Calix.
“Your mother has been waiting for you too. And… I’ll be properly introduced to your friend behind you at lunch? Look forward to it.”
***
As soon as he stepped into the assigned room, Melty felt his whole body go limp. The spacious room was decorated with lavish ornaments, but Melty’s gaze was fixed only on the sofa directly in front. Approaching the sofa with dragging steps, Melty collapsed onto it.
Calix furrowed his brow as he watched Melty flop face down on the sofa. A long journey by carriage could be quite taxing for someone experiencing it for the first time. Moreover, even the plan to travel at a leisurely pace for Melty’s sake had to be abandoned shortly after, making it natural for Melty to be exhausted. Calix approached him with a worried face and gently stroked his hair.
“If you’re really tired, I can have the meal sent up here, so just rest well.”
“…But I came to work in place of Angel-ssi.”
Melty’s voice was muffled as he answered with his face still buried in the sofa. Calix’s lips curled into a smile as he somehow managed to understand what Melty was saying.
“It’s not even an urgent matter, so it doesn’t matter.”
For something delivered so nonchalantly, his words lacked any persuasiveness. After all, the carriage’s frenzied rush had been entirely due to his instructions. When someone who had been taking it easy gave such orders, there was obviously a good reason for it.
Melty turned his head to the side with a wiggle and frowned at Calix. Despite having just arrived by carriage, Calix showed no signs of fatigue.
“Are you going out, Calix-ssi?”
“Ah, well. Since we’ve arrived, I have to take care of business.”
“……”
“What? Don’t you want me to go? Should I not work?”
Calix tapped the tip of Melty’s nose lightly with a pleased smile on his lips at Melty’s silent demeanor. Melty’s nose twitched and moved along with his hand.
“You should work! If there’s a purpose, your actions shouldn’t change like that.”
Though his stern expression wasn’t intimidating at all, Calix nodded obediently at his admonishment. Pleased that Calix was responding so compliantly to his words, Melty’s expression softened again.
“…But Calix-ssi, aren’t you close with your family?”
“Why?”
“You don’t seem close.”
Melty carefully broached the subject while watching Calix’s reaction. If those they had met today had been Melty’s family, he would have been in someone’s embrace before even starting a conversation. Compared to his own situation, the relationship between Calix and his father seemed even more different.
Unlike the man who was trying to converse with Calix, Calix maintained an indifferent expression throughout. In the conversation itself, while one side spoke enthusiastically, Calix cut off the flow of words abruptly. Perhaps there was a reason why Calix lived far away from his parents.
“Hmm… It’s not particularly bad?”
“…Then why is your attitude like that? Acting indifferently like you’ve met someone annoying.”
“That person becomes more annoying the more you deal with him.”
Calix’s body shuddered as if the mere thought was dreadful. Melty tilted his head to the side, his face full of questions at Calix’s attitude. He couldn’t quite understand why Calix was behaving that way.
“He just… seemed normal to me. Except for looking a bit scary.”
The last words were spoken in a voice so small it was like burrowing into the ground, but they were as clear as if spoken right in front of Calix, who had been attentively listening to even his breathing. Calix laughed out loud at Melty’s small complaint and asked with a mischievous expression.
“Were you scared? Of what part?”
“…His eyes.”
Embarrassed that Calix had heard everything he said, Melty honestly conveyed his thoughts. Braiante Kuse Padrian, the current head of the Padrian family, resembled Calix enough to be recognized at first glance.
If there was a difference, it was his intense and sharp impression. Especially his deep, calm red eyes felt intimidatingly chilling. Unlike his gentle smile, his eyes made no attempt to hide that they were scrutinizing Melty.
“He was glaring at me quite fiercely. Did I do something wrong?”
Melty cautiously asked Calix as he recalled the man’s appearance. Calix, who had been looking perplexed at Melty’s question, frowned sharply.
“What do you mean wrong… He just has a fierce look, that’s all.”
“…Is it okay to say that about your father?”
“It is. What can I do about how his face naturally looks? Even my mother acknowledges that.”
“…Well, if that’s the case…”
If even his married spouse acknowledged his intimidating appearance, Melty had nothing to refute. Calix’s lips curled into a smile as he watched Melty become quietly submissive while fidgeting with his lips. Despite his earlier words about leaving, Calix showed no intention of leaving Melty’s side.
“Didn’t you say you were going out?”
“Yes. I am going out?”
While speaking casually, Calix brushed Melty’s hair back and caressed his plump cheeks. Melty narrowed his eyes at his touch that kept hovering around his face. He had forgotten due to extreme fatigue, but belatedly realized something strange.
“…Come to think of it, why are you naturally here, Calix-ssi?”
“What do you mean why am I here?”
“This is my room!”
With a raised voice, Melty suddenly sat up. Calix slightly backed away from his body that had abruptly shot upward. Having avoided a collision, he crossed his arms and looked at the now-blazing-eyed Melty.
“So what?”
“It’s strange that Calix-ssi is so casually in the room assigned to me!”
“What’s strange about it? We’re lovers.”
Melty hesitated, stopping the retort he was about to make at Calix’s casual snort. Perhaps due to Calix’s confident attitude, the point he had raised seemed even stranger.
“No, shouldn’t you go to your own room?”
“Your room is my room, my room is your room. Do lovers need to use separate rooms?”
“…’Lover’ isn’t an all-purpose excuse!”
Melty put firm strength into his eyes. From the beginning, it was only Melty who had been guided to this room, yet Calix had casually entered together. He should have realized something was suspicious earlier. Calix lowered his posture at Melty’s distrustful gaze.
“Are you worried I might do something? Nothing happened in the carriage either.”
“…Isn’t it stranger to think something could have happened in the carriage in the first place?”
Melty keenly grasped that the key phrase was “in the carriage too” and narrowed his eyes, glancing at Calix. With Melty’s expression becoming even more sour, Calix had to suppress many sentences arising in his mind. A carriage was essentially an enclosed space, and those nearby were all people Calix could trust.
In other words, if he had wanted to do something, there were plenty of things he could have done in the carriage. Calix recalled the soft, plump body that had been settled in his arms throughout the journey. There were many things he could have done, but he was proud of himself for having restrained.
“What’s wrong with the carriage?”
“It’s not ‘what’s wrong’… No, what were you trying to do in the carriage?”
Calix, who had been about to pour out a stream of words, suddenly paused. He had thought of holding hands, pecking, kissing, and even venturing into a world of fantasy, but he couldn’t speak any of it out loud. If he misspoke, Melty’s vigilance, which he had barely broken down, might resurface.
The tips of Calix’s two fingers twitched as he looked at Melty, who was waiting for an answer with his arms crossed.
